Glider



Aug' 24, 1937. G. R. cooK 2,091,113

|"l'l'lllllllll|||||||| "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVI /IILI 16` INVENToR GeorgR. Cook Aug. 24, 1937. G, R. COOK 2,091,113

GLIDER Filed Sept. 22, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EYS Patented Aug.24, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 10 Claims.

The present invention relates to gliders of the type wherein a seatmoves back and forth in a horizontal plane on a suitable base. Usuallythese gliders comprise a relatively xed base and a long seat movableforward and backward on Said base,l but they may also be made as singlechairs and the movement need not be limited to the forward and backdirection.

'Ihe invention has for an object to provide a support for the seat ofsuch a glider whereby the seat may move horizontally while spring meansis provided for returning the seat to its normal mid-position after ithas been moved in either direction therefrom.

Another object is to provide a spring support for the glider seatwherein the spring or springs constitute the support for the seat andare tensioned to permit movement of the seat under Stress but to causereturn of the seat to normal position after movement in eitherdirection.

Another object is to provide an improved glider wherein the seat issupported entirely by springs constructed and arranged to permithorizontal movement while inhibiting vertical movement.

Another object is to provide an improved glider i which shall be simplein construction but effective and reliable in use.

The nature and objects of the invention will be better understood from adescription of a particular illustrative embodiment thereof for thepurposes of which description reference should be had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which- Figure 1 is aview in front elevation of a glider embodying the principles of thepresent invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the seat supporting means taken on the line 2 2of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the glider taken on the line 3 3 of Fig.l,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken through the center of thesupporting base,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View of a spring supporting bracket takenon the line 5 5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a seat supporting crank and thebearing connecting the same to the seat,

Fig. '7 is a detail View showing another form of spring, and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the movement of the seatsupporting crank relative to the supporting spring when the crank is s0positioned that in normal position it lies in the .515 plane of thespring, and

Fig. 9 shows another form of spring.

In the construction shown in Figs. l to 3 for the purposes ofillustrating the principles of the invention, the glider comprises-abase 5 and a seat 6 mounted for movement forwardly and rearwardly in asubstantially horizontal plane. In the preferred embodiment theY seat issupported by springs l, 8 anchored in the base member but connected toand carrying the seat. The springs may be centrally anchored to the basemember asby means of brackets or blocks lll, each grooved, as shown inFig. 4, to receive its spring, the springs preferably being notched, asshown in Fig; 5, to provide a secure interlock between=the springs andthe brackets. Retaining plates I2 and bolts i3 hold the springs securelyin the blocks and the blocks on the base member. The brackets may, ifdesired, be provided with iloor engaging extensions I4.

The connection between the springs and the seat` may be of any typeconsistent" with the requirements of the particular design. Inf theconstruction particularly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the springs arestraight or substantially so, but they may be of other shape; they areanchored at their centers only; and their free ends are connected totheseat by cranks I5, the upwardly extending pin I6 of each of which isjournaledy in a vertical bearing in the seat and the downwardlyextending pin ll of each of which is journaled in a vertical bearing inthe free end of a spring. The angle in a horizontal plane between thecrank and the spring in each case may be varied in accordance with thepreference of the designer. There are certain advantages in thearrangement indicated in Fig. 2 wherein, when the parts are in normalposition, that is to say, when the seat is in the mid position normallyasssumed when not under stress, the angle may approximate 45 degrees,preferably less rather than greater. In this arrangement when the springend moves in the curved path the upper crank pin will move inv astraight line with the movement of the seat and the lower crank pin willmove in a curve with the movement of the spring end; accordingly, theangle of the crank will change to accommodate this movement, but theangle will be at all times not too great. The angle between the crankand the spring will be at all times an oblique angle as is clear fromFig. 2, as distinguished from an angle of zero as shown in the midposition in Fig. 8 or an angle of 180.

The crank arms when positioned as indicated restrain the seat to astraight line movement and prevent any substantial twisting of the seatin a horizontal plane relative to the base. They also inhibitlongitudinal movement of the seat relative to the base. Anotherarrangement of the crank arms relative to the springs is indicateddiagrammatically in Fig. 8. As here indicated the cranks I9 extenddirectly inwardly from the ends of the springs 20 and lie in, orparallel to, the planes of the springs. In this arrangement as the seatmoves forward or rearward the upper crank pins move along the straightline while the lower crank pins move along a curve with the end of thespring. It

follows that the movement of the seat will beV greater than the movementof the spring ends,

especially as the seat is, in a sense, the movement element and thespring is the follower element; that is to say, the spring is pulledalong by the moving seat against tension. 1 Y

The springs may vary considerably in construction and arrangement whileproviding the desired gliding movement of the seat. In the arrangementshown in Figs. l to 3 the straight springs 1 and 8 having a largercross-sectional dimension in the vertical plane (perhaps 2) and a muchsmaller horizontal cross-sectional dimension (perhaps 1A5) serve in acertain sense as cantilever beams anchored in the brackets lil andsupporting the seat at their several ends while in another aspect theyact as springs flexible in a horizontal plane and tensioned to returnthe seat to normal mid-position. The springs can be and preferably laremade strong enough to support the seat entirely independent of anysliding or roller support, even one designed to operate when an unusualload is carried by the seat. However, if it is considered necessary` ordesirable, means may be provided for more positively supporting the seatwhen deflected beyond a predetermined limit. Such means is indicated inFig. 3 in the form of casters 3|.

In Fig. 7 a spring of another form is shown having upper and lowerspring beam members 22, 23 extending in opposite directions from acentral connecting portion 24. A pair of springs of this type may besecured to the seat at the opposite ends of the upper portion as at 25and 26 and to the base member also at the opposite ends of the lowerportion as at 21 and 28. Suitable provision for the relative effectiveshortening of the spring must belmade as for example by making thespring ends slidable in the supports 25 to 28 or by making theconnections, at least at one end, by means of cranks as in Fig. 2.Provision may also be made for turning of the ends as in suitablebearings. One advantage of springs of this form consists in thearrangement of the connections to the seat directly above theconnections to the base and in the positioning of the connections to thebase at the ends rather than at the centre. Springs such as shown at 29in Fig. 9 may be used wherein also the connections to the seat aredirectly above the connections to the base. Such springs are especiallysuitable for shorter gliders or chairs.

It will be noted that the invention provides a glider constructionwherein the supporting base and connecting mechanism may be 'entirelyconcealed beneath the seat and between the end members 30 thereof, whichend members can be closed to conceal the support beneath the seat.

The foregoing particular description is illustrative merely and is notintended as defining the limits of the invention. Numerous modificationsobviously may be made; for example, the spring ends may be anchored moreor less rigidly; they may beanchored to permit turning as on the crankpins or to prevent such turning; the springs may be designed to providevertical resiliency as well as horizontal and they may be of morecomplicated shape to more readily permit desired movement.

I claim:-

l. A glider comprising a lbase, a seat, means kfor supporting the seatupon the base for horizontal movement while preventing substantialvertical movement relative to the base comprising a flat springextending horizontally and ilexible in a horizontal plane but relativelyrigid in a vertical plane and having a portion secured to the base andanother portion connected to the seat.

2. A glider comprising a base, a pair of flat substantially straightsprings flexible to permit movement in a horizontal plane butsubstantially rigid to resist movement in a vertical plane secured tothe base and extending horizontally in opposite directions, and a seatsecured to and supported on the ends of said springs.

3. A glider comprising a base, a pair of parallel substantially straightsprings flexible in a horizontal plane but substantially rigid in avertical plane secured to the base, a seat connected to the ends of andcarried directly by the springs, said springs acting to support theweight of the seat.

4. A glider comprising a base element, a seat l element and means forsupporting the seat element on the base element for rectilinearhorizontal movement comprising a pair of parallel springs connected attheir ends to one element and at their central portions to the otherelement, said springs being flexible in a horizontal plane andsubstantially rigid in a vertical plane and acting thereby to sustainthe weight of the seat element in substantially the same plane duringhorizontal movement of the seat and flexing of the springs.

5. A glider comprising a base, a horizontally movable seat and meanssupporting the seat on the base comprising a flat spring with its largercross-sectional dimension vertically positioned connected rigidly to thebase, connections between the spring and seat supporting the seat on thespring and causing the seat to move horizontally with the spring, saidspring being tensioned to support and hold the seat in normal positionbut flexible horizontally to permit horizontal movement of the seat.

6. A glider comprising a base, a seat, and means supporting the seat onthe base for horizontal movement relative to the base comprisingsubstantially straight parallel springs secured in the base andconnected to the seat having a large vertical cross-sectional dimensionand a smaller lateral dimension whereby they are horizontally flexible.said springs serving in one aspect as relatively unyielding beams toprovide support for said seat and in another aspect as springs tensionedto hold the seat in normal positionbut permitting horizontal movementunder stress.

7. A glider comprising a base, a seat, two springs rigidly anchored inthe base flexible in a horizontal plane but substantially rigid in -avertical plane and having free ends projecting in vertical planestherefrom, and means for supporting the seat on the free ends of thesprings comprising cranks each having one vertical crank pin journaledin the seat and one vertical crank pin journaled in the spring, theproportion and arrangement of parts being such that the cranks extend atan oblique angle to the vertical plane of the spring in all operativepositions of the Seat.

8. A glider comprising a base, a seat and a pair of substantiallystraight steel springs secured rigidly to the base at their centers andextending therefrom, the seat being connected to and supported on theends of the springs, said springs having a relatively large verticalcross-sectional dimension and a relatively small horizontalcrosssectional dimension whereby they are relatively iiexiblehorizontally to permit horizontal movement and relatively rigidvertically to support the weight of the seat.

9. A glider comprising a base, a seat, a pair of substantially straightsteel springs secured rigidly to the base at their centers, said springshaving a relatively large vertical cross-sectional dimension and arelatively small horizontal cross sectional dimension to provideresistance to yielding vertically while permitting flexing horizontally,and cranks connected to the ends of said springs and to said seat tosupport the seat on the springs and to permit horizontal straight linemovement of the seat as the springs bend in a horizontal plane.

10. A glider comprising a base, a seat, a pair of substantially straightsteel springs secured rigidly to the base at their centers, said springshaving a relatively large vertical cross-sectional l dimension and arelatively small horizontal crosssectional dimension and means forsupporting the seat on the ends of the springs comprising cranks, eachcrank having a vertical crank pin extending upwardly and journalled inthe seat and a second crank pin extending downwardly and journalled inthe end of a spring, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE R. COOK.

